Book excerpt: This pocket-sized reference is for clinicians who manage patients with dysphagia. Speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physicians, clinical dieticians, nurses, and pharmacists will find this book to be a helpful, handy resource. Drugs and Dysphagia is carefully organized, allowing quick access to precise information. The text comprises three parts: Part 1-overviews the nervous system and the swallow process. An overview of the effects of medications on swallowing is provided in Chapter 3. Part 2-addresses medications that affect the central nervous system. Medications associated with oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal dysphagia; causes of dysphagia; and drug-induced dysphagia are discussed. Part 3-deals with important medications that can cause dysfunction of the gastrointestinal system and those that are used to treat gastrointestinal dysfunction. Tables are included throughout for this quick and easy-to-use reference. These tables are organized into medication groups based on their use. Specific medications from each group are listed by both generic and brand name. The tables include the recommended doses of these medications; and the commonly encountered side effects associated with them, which may contribute to dysphagia.